How does the lethal 70 compare to the VT80 and VTZF in terms of stiffness/stability/durability/overall feel? I currently use an Arcsaber 8DX and am looking for an upgrade, not sure which racket to buy.
I had the L70 and VT80PG so here are my thoughts on it: My L70 has a 290mm bp (BG80 and RKEP G09 overgrip), 100.4g overall weight. It's stiff but as you can see it's only slightly head heavy. My VT80 has 297mm bp (ZM62 and RKEP G09 overgrip), 99.3g overall weight. It's slightly stiffer than my L70 when bending it with my hands but feels a lot stiffer during matches. Both are 3UG5 and I have to say I didn't quite get along with the VT80 (ended up selling it). It was great for anything forehand, but when it came to backhand it didn't connect well. My backhand simply can't flex the shaft enough to generate power. This issue isn't as pronounced with the L70 since it's less stiff. The problems I had with the VT80 could have been alleviated with a 4U configuration instead. That being said, I feel that I have a lot more control (in terms of doing what I want with it) with my L70, smashes are so steep they land in front of the opponents and a "flick" can clear the shuttle to the baseline. Whenever I did a "flick" with the VT80, I felt I HAD to follow through because of the headheaviness in the VT80 (so much momentum). I would say both are stable, but the VT80 feels bulkier where the frame especially seems thicker. I clashed once with my VT80 and it never chipped, while the L70 might not hold up as well. My defense suffered with the slower VT80, especially smashes at the hip. I felt more comfortable defending withe L70. The VT80 feels noticeably headheavier and is really meant for a strong player (physically and technically). The L70 could be seen as a stepping stone towards head heavy and stiff rackets. If you play with feathers more, I think VT80 would still be good. L70 I find is a lot more comfortable to play with for plastics.
Thanks Phaam! That was really descriptive and helpful. Too bad the L70 isn't as stiff as the VT80, because the Arc 8DX is stiffer than the VT80 and I wanted something stiffer than my current racket.
You want something stiff? Get the Z-Force. I had the Lethal 70 for a while buT the racket quality don't measure up with Z-Force or the current Li-ning N90 that I use now. The Z-Force is the stiffest and heaviest out of them all, so obviously not a beginners or even intermediate racket, you will end up selling it because your arms will literally cry (it takes some time for me to get used to it too).
If you want something super stiff, but not as head heavy as the Z-Force, the MX80 sounds like the right racket for you. Bonus: it's also about $30 cheaper than the Z-Force. I would borrow a 3U and 4U ZForce from a clubmate first before purchasing one. It's quite difficult to use. But it would be a lot more manageable with feather shuttles.